Have you ever met someone who always seems to be in a good mood, even during adversity? Do you wonder how a person not only gets in a good mood but stays there?

Many factors affect a person’s mood. The great news is that those factors are controllable with a little effort and encouragement. Read on to discover how to find your good mood place and stay there!

Good Mood Incentives

When you’re in a good mood or have a positive outlook, you tend to be more energetic and healthy. Your coping skills strengthen and you handle adversity better. Most people even sleep better when their mood is generally positive. The overall quality of your life improves with your good mood. How many more reasons do you need to be in a good mood?

How to Get There

Good moods don’t just happen for most people. They reflect a healthy lifestyle. There are some specific strategies that you can implement to achieve a good mood. Here are some suggestions:

Good Mood FoodWhat you eat does directly affect your emotional status. If you tend to run up and down on the mood spectrum, evaluate your sugar and caffeine intake. Both chemicals cause fluctuations in energy and mood levels. Highly processed foods also zap your mood because they prevent your body from acquiring and absorbing healthy nutrients required for good nutrition. People who eat multiple servings of fruits and vegetables, drink lots of water and only occasionally give in to junk-food cravings tend to have more reliable mood patterns without serious swings.

Workout Adrenaline-pumping activity increases the heart rate and releases endorphins, which improves your mood. Fun workouts such as dance classes and spinning groups are especially effective in creating good moods.

Doing Good DeedsVolunteers often have positive attitudes because they’re not focused on themselves or their own issues. Working with the poor, children or the elderly can be hard work, but it’s often very satisfying. By removing yourself from your own negative situations for a time, you can more clearly evaluate the positives in your life. If you’re not a people person, work with animal groups like the SPCA. It’s really challenging to be in a bad mood around a puppy or kitten.

LaughThis may seem obvious but it works. Keep a DVD or CD of your favorite comedian around for those moments when you find your mood dipping. It’s difficult to dwell on life’s challenges and laugh at the same time. Learn to laugh at yourself and your frustrations. Very few difficulties in life are remembered a year later. How we respond to them in the moment greatly determines our ongoing mood.

Surround Yourself with Positive PeopleA major sign of maturity is when you establish boundaries for those who prevent you from focusing on the positive. Sometimes we can’t prevent ourselves from being around them completely (because they’re family members or colleagues), but adding others to your circle who see life in a positive way makes so much sense.

Staying in a Good Mood

It’s not so difficult to be in a good mood occasionally, but what can be done to achieve a positive attitude for the majority of the time?

Have Faith People who believe in something more powerful than themselves are relieved of carrying the world on their shoulders. Changing what you can—when you can—and leaving everything else to a higher power allows you to enjoy your life without being overly burdened. No single human being has the ability to control all things, yet we often try to live like we can.

Keep a Gratitude JournalWrite down the simple things that make you happy. Angie, a mother of four from Charleston, S.C., went through a terrible time—her husband’s company failed, they lost their home, she had to return to work after being a stay-at-home mom for years—but she kept a small spiral-bound notepad where she listed daily blessings. In her writing she included her children’s love, her good health, the neighbor who brought over a bag of groceries, friends who supported them financially at times, flowers that were blooming in the front yard and their dog that had puppies. Even today, though Angie’s family situation has improved, she does not overlook her many blessings. Anyone who knows Angie will tell you that she is always in a good mood.

Be InspiredFind your passion and go for it. Many people go to work each day earning a paycheck without ever really examining their heart’s desire in life. What’s your passion? How can you achieve it? People who love what they do every day are consistently in good moods because they are living an inspired, passionate life.

Respond PositivelyWe all experience other people who are negative, difficult or just plain mean. Your response will determine your mood when you walk away from those types of people. You can’t control them, but you can control how you respond to them. Smiling at someone who never smiles, reaching out to touch a person who seems unlovable or simply encouraging someone else to examine the positive side of a situation can prevent you from adopting their lousy mood.

Elisabeth Elliot, the wife of a missionary who was brutally murdered by the natives he was serving, once wrote, “Response is what matters.” She obviously believed it when she returned to the natives and forgave them for killing her husband. Your response to others affects not only their mood, but yours as well.

Listen to MusicFind the style that lifts you up and embrace it daily. Positive music often has the same affect on your mood as healthy food and exercise. It stills your heart or stirs it up, whichever works best for you.

Develop a Good Mood MantraLook up quotes or listen to what others say and adopt one that reminds you of being positive. Consider some of the following quotes as options:

“Joy can be real only if people look on their life as a service, and have a definite object in life outside themselves and their personal happiness.” -Leo Tolstoy

“There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy.” -Ralph Blum

“I realize that humor isn't for everyone. It's only for people who want to have fun, enjoy life, and feel alive.” -Anne Wilson Schaef

“Taking joy in life is a woman’s best cosmetic.” -Rosalind Russell

“Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough.” -Emily Dickinson

“Happiness depends upon ourselves.” -Aristotle

Examine the time in your day when you’re most inclined to slip out of your good mood. For example, if the rush-hour traffic on your way home from work really ticks you off, play your favorite music, listen to a humorous CD or call a positive friend during your drive. With a little effort, you can achieve a good mood and keep it, increasing your quality of life.

Do You Have a Bad Attitude?Remember those posters in the halls of your elementary school? The ones that said "Attitude is everything!" or "Attitude: A little thing that makes a big difference!" They seemed silly at the time, but these words of wisdom are appropriate no matter what age you are. So how's your attitude? Find out if you have a problem with this bad attitude quiz.